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    Why Should we Care about the Middle Ages? Putting the Case for the Relevance of Studying Medieval Europe (2020)

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    Chapters
    UC Permalink
    http://hdl.handle.net/10092/17623
    
    Publisher's DOI/URI
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110546316-001
    
    Publisher
    De Gruyter
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    • Arts: Chapters and Books [45]
    Authors
    Jones C
    Oschema K
    Kostick C
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    Editors
    Jones C
    Kostick C
    Oschema K
    Abstract

    This introductory chapter puts forward a case for the continuing importance of studying the European Middle Ages. The early twenty-first century is witness to a boom in popular interest in the medieval, one which is playing a significant role in shaping both politics and popular culture. Paradoxically, while this boom has led to increasing study of ‘medievalism’, investment in the disciplines that involve the study of the Middle Ages themselves is in relative decline with questions frequently raised about the value of such research. This chapter begins by examining the challenges that necessitate a defence of research whose key focus is the period between the fifth and the fifteenth centuries. It goes on to consider the nature of the relationship that has developed between Modernity and the Middle Ages and reflects on the changing role that medieval scholars have played in society since History emerged as a professional discipline in the nineteenth century. It poses the important question of what a focus on the medieval might offer contemporary society, arguing that a significant distinction should be drawn between ‘usefulness’ and ‘relevance’. It contends that not only does the medieval remain relevant but that that relevance is to be found in surprising, frequently overlooked, areas that range from advancing modern medical knowledge and assessing the impact of climate change to informing contemporary political and social discourse.

    Citation
    Jones C,Oschema K,Kostick C (2020). Why Should we Care about the Middle Ages? Putting the Case for the Relevance of Studying Medieval Europe. In Jones C, Kostick C, Oschema K (Ed.), Making the Medieval Relevant: How Medieval Studies Contribute to Improving our Understanding of the Present.: EPUB/HARDCOVER1-29. Berlin: De Gruyter.
    This citation is automatically generated and may be unreliable. Use as a guide only.
    Keywords
    Medieval Studies; historiography; medievalism; History and Society; popular history; ideology; contemporary and modern nationalisms
    ANZSRC Fields of Research
    43 - History, heritage and archaeology::4303 - Historical studies::430308 - European history (excl. British, classical Greek and Roman)
    43 - History, heritage and archaeology::4303 - Historical studies::430304 - British history
    39 - Education::3902 - Education policy, sociology and philosophy::390202 - History and philosophy of education
    50 - Philosophy and religious studies::5002 - History and philosophy of specific fields::500205 - History and philosophy of the humanities
    13 - Education::1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy::130205 - Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum and Pedagogy (excl. Economics, Business and Management)
    20 - Language, Communication and Culture::2002 - Cultural Studies::200299 - Cultural Studies not elsewhere classified

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